Sep 18, 2024
Environment & Climate Change
My Votes – Week of December 19
Jan 05, 2023
Votes
RULE BILLS
A rule bill is a bill passed through a full House vote under a rule that has been voted and agreed upon by the Rules Committee. Rule bills require a simple majority of the House to pass (218 votes) through a recorded vote.
12/22/2022
H.R. 9640
Presidential Tax Filings and Audit Transparency Act of 2022
Passed | 222-201
My Vote | NO
This bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to conduct an examination to determine the correctness of a Presidential income tax return as rapidly as practicable after it is filed. I voted against this bill, because it is not an honest attempt to improve presidential audits and is instead a charade being used to justify the political targeting of a former president.
12/20/2022
H.R. 2617
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
Passed | 225-201
My Vote | NO
This massive, 4155-page, spending bill is a perfect example of how the legislative process is broken. It is no way to run a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. At a time when Americans are experiencing record-high inflation, surging energy costs, and a worsening border crisis, this bill fails to meaningfully address the most pressing issues facing the country. This massive bill prioritizes funding for a barrage of radical policies that will only further divide the country. There simply wasn’t enough accountability built into this bill to earn my support. I believe it’s long past time that Congress do its job and consider legislation to fund the government in a way that prioritizes an open and accountable process.
SUSPENSION BILLS
A suspension bill is a bill passed by the House through suspending the rules to move quickly, circumventing the House Rules Committee. Suspension bills are typically less controversial pieces of legislation, and as the rules are being suspended, they require a higher threshold, two-thirds of those voting in the House, to pass. Additionally, these bills are often passed by a voice vote, without a formal roll call vote.
12/21/2022
S. 2333
Equal Pay for Team USA Act of 2022
Passed | 350-59
My Vote | NO
The bill requires that all athletes representing the U.S. in international competitions receive equal pay and benefits, including medical care, travel and expenses. While I support the goal of this bill, in reality, this legislation would do very little to fix the problem of unequal pay among athletes. Additionally, it was brought to the floor at a time when funding the federal government should have been the sole priority of the House of Representatives.
12/21/2022
S. 5168
Energy Security and Lightering Independence Act of 2022
Passed | 394-19
My Vote | YES
This bill authorizes a non-U.S. crewman to obtain a permit to land in the United States for up to 180 days if, during this period, the crewman will perform ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfer operations involving a vessel engaged in foreign trade. Currently, a non-U.S. crewman may obtain a permit to land for up to 29 days.
12/22/2022
S. 4926
Respect for Child Survivors Act
This bill requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to use a multidisciplinary approach with any investigation of child sexual exploitation or abuse, the production of child sexual abuse material, or child trafficking. The FBI must also use a trained child adolescent forensic interviewer in these investigations if practicable and consistent with applicable federal law.
12/21/2022
S. 2834
Dr. Joanne Smith Memorial Rehabilitation Innovation Centers Act of 2022
Passed | 393-19
My Vote | YES
This bill directs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to publish and biennially update a list of all rehabilitation innovation centers.
12/21/2022
H.R. 1917
Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act
My Vote | YES
This bill makes an entity seeking assistance under a hazard mitigation assistance program eligible to receive such assistance for certain projects already in progress.
12/21/2022
S. 3168
Amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010
Passed | 378-33
My Vote | YES
This bill extends the deadline, from 2023 to 2025, for the Department of the Interior to publish a statement of findings required by the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010.
12/21/2022
S. 3308
Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022
Passed | 397-12
My Vote | YES
This bill authorizes the Colorado River Indian tribes (CRIT) to enter into an agreement or option to lease or exchange a portion of the consumptive use of water to be used off the tribe’s reservation if it is located in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River, Colorado.
12/22/2022
S. 3773
A bill to authorize the leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation
Passed | 377-42
My Vote | YES
This bill authorizes the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation to lease their land held in trust for a term of up to 99 years. The tribe is located in western Washington State.
12/22/2022
S. 4104
Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022
Passed | 360-55
My Vote | YES
This bill modifies and ratifies the Hualapai Tribe water rights settlement agreement negotiated between the tribe, the United States, Arizona, and others, thus satisfying the tribe’s claims for groundwater and surface water rights to water in Arizona, including the Verde River, the Bill Williams River, and the Colorado River.
12/22/2022
S. 5087
Amend the Not Invisible Act of 2019
Passed | 374-44
My Vote | YES
This bill makes changes to the Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crime Against Indians, which was established to increase intergovernmental coordination to identify and combat violent crime within Indian lands and against Indians.
12/22/2022
S. 989
Native American Language Resource Center Act of 2022
My Vote | YES
This bill authorizes the Department of Education to make a grant to or enter into a contract with an eligible entity (e.g., an institution of higher education) to establish, operate, and staff a Native American language resource center. The center must serve as a resource to improve the capacity to teach and learn Native American languages.
12/22/2022
S. 1402
Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2022
Passed | 337-79
My Vote | YES
This bill directs the president to review whether federal agencies are in compliance with requirements to promote the use of Native American languages and make recommendations to improve interagency coordination to support the use of these languages. It also requires the Administration for Native Americans to survey the use of Native American languages in the United States.
12/22/2022
H.R. 7939
Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022
Passed | 380-35
My Vote | YES
This bill provides permanent authority for the application of certain flexibilities to assist veterans with their educational assistance benefits during emergency situations (as declared by the President). Specifically, the bill extends certain program adjustments that were implemented during the COVID-19 emergency to other emergency situations that may arise and have an effect on veterans and their educational assistance benefits.
12/22/2022
S. 1942
National Heritage Area Act
Passed | 326-95
My Vote | YES
The bill establishes a National Heritage Area System through which the Department of the Interior may furnish technical and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to support the establishment, development. It also provides for the continuity of the National Heritage Areas.
12/22/2022
H.R. 1917
Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act
Passed | 393-19
My Vote | YES
This bill makes an entity seeking assistance under a hazard mitigation assistance program eligible to receive such assistance for certain projects already in progress.